Best Balance Transfer Credit Cards

The Chase Freedom Unlimited card offers flat-rate cashback rewards that allow you to accumulate rewards and transfer your balance for an attractive rate with no annual fee. There is a 0% APR rate for the first 15 months on balance transfers and purchases before the rate increases to a variable rate, providing a nice window for cardholders to reduce their balance.

You can also earn some decent rewards on your spending. The card has a simple plan with no rotating categories, caps, or enrollments to worry about. You can earn an unlimited 1.5% cashback on all purchases automatically. You’ll also earn a signup bonus of $150 if you spend $500 during the first three months of membership.

The 1.5% cashback is generous for no annual fee, but you can also enjoy redemption options that allow you to earn even more benefits. 100 points is roughly $1, and as you earn 1.5 points per $1 spent, you’ll need to spend $67 to accumulate 100 points. There are no thresholds to redeem your points, and you can receive a direct cash deposit into your checking account, or you can use your points to purchase gift cards, travel, or products and services.

In addition to an attractive balance transfer rate, you can also enjoy the Chase Freedom Unlimited travel benefits that include travel and emergency assistance services. This provides you with medical and legal assistance if you run into problems away from home. There is also trip cancellation insurance that provides up to $1,500 per person if your non-refundable, pre-paid fares need to be canceled or cut short due to injury or sickness.

The Quicksilver Cash Rewards is another rewards credit card that can allow you to earn some great benefits in addition to an attractive balance transfer rate. In addition to a 0% APR introductory rate for 15 months, you can enjoy 1.5% cashback on each of your purchases and a $150 bonus if you spend $500 within the first three months. You will need to be prepared for a 3% balance transfer fee, but this can be easily offset by the $150 bonus and your cashback rewards.

This card is a great option for those who don’t want the hassle of rotating categories or trying to plan your spending for maximum rewards. You’ll simply earn 1.5% cashback consistently for all of your purchases. This card provides the full complement of Capital One member privileges. These include extended warranty protection, travel upgrades, and complimentary concierge assistance.

In addition to all of these great benefits, the Quicksilver Cash Rewards card has no annual fee, and there are no foreign transaction fees. So, although the 1.5% cashback may be a modest level of reward, it is one of the best balance transfer credit cards on the market.

It may be a good choice to pair with another card, such as a rotating category credit card that can earn higher amounts of cashback for some purchases. This will allow you to enjoy a great introductory rate for your balance transfer and 1.5% cashback on most of your spending while getting a higher rate for specific categories up to your card restriction limit.

If you’re a foodie, you could combine your balance transfer needs with some great culinary rewards. This card has been designed for food lovers and those with large grocery bills, as you can enjoy rewards on entertainment, dining out, and grocery purchases. There is a tiered reward structure, where you can earn 3% cashback on dining and entertaining, 2% cashback on grocery store purchases, and for all your other purchases, 1% cashback. All of this with no annual fee!

There is a 0% APR introductory rate for your balance transfers and purchases for the first 15 months, allowing plenty of time to reduce your balance, but you will need to pay a 3% balance transfer fee. However, this can be offset by the $150 cashback bonus if you spend $500 within the first three months of opening your account.

There is no need to worry about registering categories or enrolling in programs; you simply accumulate cashback automatically. You can even set your account to redeem your rewards automatically when it reaches a threshold or once a year. However, you can also redeem your rewards at any time as a check or statement credit.

Another great benefit of the SavorOne is that in addition to no annual fee, there are no foreign transaction fees. So, you can use your card on your overseas vacations without racking up charges that can be as much as 3% with other cards.

4. ABOC Platinum Rewards Mastercard Credit Card

The ABOC Platinum Rewards card is a fantastic choice as one of the best balance transfer credit cards. Although the introductory APR is set at 0% for the first 12 months on purchases, this is extended to 18 months for balance transfers. However, there is a 3% balance transfer fee.

Fortunately, this fee can be easily recouped by the rewards offered and the lack of annual fee. There is a $150 sign up bonus if you spend $1,200 within the first 90 days of account opening. You can also earn an impressive 5 points for every $1 in rotating categories each quarter up to $1,500. All other purchases attract 1 point per $1.

You can redeem your points for statement credit, merchandise, gift cards, and travel. The points do not expire, but the redemption values do vary. The best value is travel, which equates to 1 cent per point, so you can use your points for flights, hotels, vacation packages, and car rentals to get the best bang for your buck.

However, if you’re not a big traveler, you can still get 0.7 cents and 1 cent per point for gift cards and approximately 0.75 cents per point if you redeem them as a statement credit or merchandise.

Highlights:

0% introductory APR on purchases for 15 months

0% introductory APR on balance transfers for 18 months

3% balance transfer fee

No annual fee

Earn 5 points per dollar in rotating categories and 1 point per dollar on all other purchases

$150 signup bonus if you spend $1,200 within the first 3 months

5. Citi Double Cash Card

If you’re good at paying your credit card balance each month, then you can earn double rewards with the Citi Double Cash Card. Not only can you enjoy a 0% APR introductory rate on balance transfers for the first 18 months, but you’ll also earn cashback twice.

The Double Cash card offers 1% cashback when you purchase an item and an additional 1% when you pay for those purchases, for a total of 2% cashback. The only caveat is that you must make the minimum balance due payment on time each month to qualify for your cashback.

The card also has a number of other benefits, including no annual fee and access to the Citi Price Rewind program. This innovative program searches for lower prices on the items you purchase, and if the same item is found at a lower price within 60 days, you’ll receive the price difference up to $1,200 a year. There is a limit of $300 per item, but this can be a great way to still enjoy the best prices without needing to spend days shopping around for the best deals.

A potential downside of this card is that there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. So, if you spend $1,000 overseas with your card, you’ll need to be prepared for a $30 fee. There is a $5 minimum for these fees, so it is not likely to be the best choice of card for your overseas vacation.

Highlights:

0% APR introductory rate on balance transfers for 18 months

2% cashback

No annual fee

6. Wells Fargo Cash Wise Visa Card

The Cash Wise card from Wells Fargo is one of the best balance transfer credit cards offering a 0% APR introductory rate for 15 months on balance transfers and purchases. You need to make balance transfers within 120 days to qualify for this rate, and there is a 3% fee with a $5 minimum.

In addition to this great balance transfer rate, you can enjoy 1.5% cashback on all your purchases with no limit. However, what makes this card stand apart from the pack is that you can earn 1.8% cashback on digital wallet purchases that are made within the first 12 months of your account membership. Additionally, there is no annual fee, so you don’t need to try to offset a hefty renewal fee with your account rewards.

Wells Fargo also offers new cardholders a $150 bonus if you spend $500 within the first three months of membership.

One of the standout features of this card is that you can manage your rewards through the Cash Track platform. This allows you to set cash reward goals, view your rewards, redeem rewards, and even view your lifetime reward earnings.

Another impressive feature is that the card offers up to $600 of cellphone protection if you pay your monthly bill with the card. This is great protection against cellphone theft or damage with just a $25 deductible.

One downside is that there is a 3% foreign transaction fee. However, this is not an issue if you don’t need to use the card internationally.

7. Citi Diamond Preferred Card

With a 0% APR rate on balance transfers for 21 months, you simply need to make your balance transfer within the first four months to enjoy the perks of this fantastic card. You can also enjoy this 0% APR rate on purchases for 12 months. Additionally, there is no annual fee to offset and a great rewards package.

The Diamond Preferred card provides access to the Citi Entertainment service that allows you to enjoy VIP treatment and pre-sale tickets. You can get special access to tickets for thousands of events and exclusive experiences. While this VIP treatment is great, you have almost two years to pay off your credit card balance without incurring interest charges.

One significant downside of this card is that there is a 5% fee on all balance transfers with a $5 minimum. There is also a 3% fee on all foreign transactions, which can really add up for frequent travelers.

Highlights:

0% APR introductory rate on balance transfers for 21 months

0% APR introductory rate on purchases for 12 months

5% balance transfer fee

No annual fee

8. Citi Simplicity Card

Finally, the Citi Simplicity card offers the promise of no late fees ever. This makes it one of the best balance transfer credit cards today. This card is designed to be straightforward with an easy to understand benefits package.

In addition to the 0% APR introductory rate on balance transfers for 21 months from the date of the first transfer, you can also enjoy 0% on purchases for the first 12 months and no annual fee. To take advantage of this rate, the balance transfers must be completed in the first four months, and there is a fee of 5% fee with a $5 minimum.

The card also provides access to personal 24-hour customer service, and you can set up your own payment schedule. Unfortunately, there is a 3% fee for all foreign transactions.

It is also important to note that while you will not incur any fees for late payments, any late payments will impact your credit score, so they should still be avoided where possible. There are also no rewards offered with this card. While this card is great for balance transfers, if you enjoy the perk of receiving rewards for your everyday purchases, then this is not the right card for you.

Highlights:

0% APR introductory offer on balance transfers for 21 months

0% APR introductory offer on purchases for 12 months

5% balance transfer fee

No annual fee

Conclusion

As you can see, carrying a balance on your credit card doesn’t mean being stuck with hefty interest payments. Our list of the best balance transfer credit cards highlights that you can enjoy 0% APR introductory periods, rewards, and other benefits. This means that you can pay down your balance without incurring interest and accumulate points and other rewards that can add up to a nice treat. For even more options, see this page of balance transfer credit cards.

About The Author

Lorraine currently lives in sunny southern Spain. She is a finance writer with past experience in sales, marketing, and management.

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